Improvement in burial-cases



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IMPROVEMENT IN BU RlAL-CASES.

`Speciticaton forming part of Letters Patent No. 74,531, dated February 18,18%.

To LZZ whom t may concern,.-

Be it known that I, JAsPER R. HATHAWAY, ot' 'Vesttield, in the county of Chautauqua and State of New York, have invented a new and improved BuriatCase; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the saine, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specilication.

rlhis invention relates to a new and improved method of constructing cotfins or burial-cases, whereby they are rendered much more sub-` stantial and durable than when made in the ordinary man ner,while the cost of the metallic burial case is greatly reduced; and the invention consists in forming the burial-case of cast -iron plates which are dovetailed and grooved together, the joints of which are secured and rendered air and water tight by melted lead or other equivalent metal, as will be hereinafter more fully described.

Figure 1 represents a longitudinal side elevation of the metallic burial-case complete and closed. Fig. 2 is a top view of the same with the cover oii'.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

The sides and ends, as well as the top and bottom, of this bnriai-case are cast in separate plates or pieces, the sides and ends being dovetailed together, as seen in the drawings at a. The dovetails are made in the casting, while the joints are secured and rendered perfectly and screwed on in the ordinary manner.

this method of construction the plates of' air and water tight by pouring in melted lead to fill every oritice. By this method of forming the plates I am enabledto introduce any desired style of finish for the sides, ends, or top of the cover, either panels, as seen in the drawings at B, or any other ornamental design.

The bottom of the case is let into the sides and ends by grooves, and the top is arranged By which the case is composed may be packed for transportation in a small space before being put together, if desired; but the main advantage to be derived from my method is in casting the plates, whereby any desired design may be introduced upon the sides and ends of the cofiin, and in securing those plates together by dovetail joints, thereby forming a most substantial and durable burial-case at an expense greatly reduced from that ofthe ordinary metallic bu rial-cases now in market.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

As a new article of manufacture, a burial case formed of cast-metal plates which are held together by dovetail joints, substantially as and for the purpose described.

The above specification of my invention signed by me this 26th day of November, 1867.

JASPER R. HATHAWAY.

Vitnesses:

WM. F. MONAMARA, ALEX. F. ROBERTS. 

